A not-so-happy birthday? 16th December revealed as “worst” date to celebrate your big day

Why December 16 is the worst day on which to celebrate your birthday

Published:15:17Wednesday 16 December 2015

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Study reveals interesting trends in UK birthdays and the “best” and “worst” dates to celebrate

Winter babies confirmed as receiving fewer gifts and as being lower earners

January birthdays are the most likely to be forgotten

All birthdays are created equal – or are they?

Not according to a new report commissioned by Interflora, which has revealed statistically the best and worst dates in the calendar for a birthday – with those born in December and January most likely to get a raw deal.

The report cross references the birth dates of 2,000 Brits with several factors such as the average number of presents received and the likelihood of friends actually attending a party. Some of the key findings include:

- The BEST birthday date is revealed as July 28th – due, in-part, to the likelihood of good weather, its closeness to payday, as well as the “feel-good” summer factor. Singers Cher Lloyd and Soulja Boy and footballer Harry Kane all share birthdays on this date.

- The WORST birth date emerged as December 16th - due, in part, to its proximity to Christmas, cold weather, and likelihood of it getting forgotten with all the festive celebrations. Ludwig Van Beethoven, Noel Coward and Jane Austen all have birthdays on 16th December

Overall, those born in the winter months were the most disgruntled with the date of their birth, with December fairing worst of all (16% confirming they were ‘unhappy’), followed by January (15%) and November (11%).

Nearly a third (31%) of people celebrating their birthdays in December claim their special day gets frequently overlooked because of Christmas and complain of their presents being wrapped in Christmas paper (27%). Similarly, those celebrating in January suffered similar fates, with 39% receiving presents bought in the sales, a sixth receiving ‘recycled’ Christmas gifts (14%) and almost a quarter (22%) having to forget their celebrations altogether as their friends had run out of money.

However, it seems people in the UK are far happier with summer celebrations, with the happiest months to celebrate confirmed as June (60%), July (59%) and August (53%).

The study also dug deeper to uncover some key trends relating to birth dates, revealing:

January birthdays are forgotten the most - January birthdays are the most likely to be forgotten, with the majority of people (12%) admitting that gifts and presents for their family and friends born in January often slip their minds.

The importance of Facebook in 2015- Almost half of people (42%) no longer send birthday cards, they use Facebook instead. A third of people (31%) only remember birthdays these days because of Facebook.

Summer babies earn more - Those born in August are most likely to be top earners compared with any other month with 12% earning more than £45,000. However, those born in December are least likely to become a top earner with only 4% confirming they are in that wage bracket.

Summer babies consistently receive bigger gifts from friends and family - People born in August are more likely to receive high value gifts (11% receive £50 or more), compared with any other month.